Preview Review V

Grandma had Henry under control, so Rachel & I escaped to the motion picture's the other night. The feature presentation was "Youth In Revolt", the new Michael Cera offering. It was pretty much exactly what I expected, which almost never happens. In a good way, mainly. Nothing amazing, but pretty thoroughly amusing.

My favorite scene was when he's at this French Immersion school, and he keeps asking people questions, but they won't speak to him in English. And he says, "Are you fucking serious?" It's not the greatest line ever, but the delivery kicks ass and I laughed for about the next five minutes.

You know, people talk a lot about whether Michael Cera will last, if he'll be able to develop some range. And I understand that concern, and why lots of people think he won't be able to, that he'll go the way of Jon Heder soon enough. This movie doesn't really offer all that much to show he'll be able to break out, but he has made pretty much every movie he's been in funnier than it really should have been. So for now I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Zach whatever his name is, from The Hangover, definitely showed some range. First time I've seen him not play the sort of lovable weirdo/goofball. He was just kind of a a prick in this one.

Anyway, that was just the main feature. Of course, the main reason you go to the movies is for the previews. So without further ado, here you have the fifth installment of the Preview Review. There's Upside Score (US), which is how good the movie looks like it might be, and Secret Score (SS), which is how much the preview managed to keep some small amount of plot hidden. I think this is the worst selection of trailers I've seen since I started The Preview Review. Sorry I don't have better news.

BOUNTY HUNTER -- the money scene in the trailer is when Jennifer Aniston punches Gerard Butler in the groin. I shit you not. US 1.5. Gets a half point for using "Hang Fire" as the background music. SS 4.

SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE -- basically all the guys who were in Knocked Up get a chance to be the lead in at least one movie. This looks like the weakest one so far. Kind of looks like a John Hughes movie, and there's a reason they stopped making those. Well, I guess partly because he's dead. But even before that, I mean that style of movie. Done like dinner. US 2. SS 5.

COP OUT -- What fucking year is this? Black cop white cop piss off the police captain but solve the case while dispensing a mix of hilarious hijinx and high-paced action. The police captain in this one actually says, and I wrote it down, "There's a right way to do police work, then there's the way you do it." That's a line. Not just a throwaway line in this piece of shit-looking movie. It actually made it into the preview. Now, there is a chance that the whole thing's a level, it's all a send-up of 80's style buddy cop movies. In which case, I guess it should be judged differently. I don't think so, but here's hoping. US 2. Only avoids a 1 because Tracy Jordan's pretty funny in a scene where he refuses to say "who's there" after Seann William Scott's "knock knock". SS 4.

CLASH OF THE TITANS -- I. Could. Not. Care. Less. US n/a (on account of I just don't care). SS n/a (on account of I just don't care).

DEAR JOHN -- okay, I admit this one looks not bad as far as 'movies for girls' go. Trailer does a good job of giving you the low-down without spoiling too much (although maybe not that much happens). US 5. SS 7.

THE SCARIES -- standard horror movie stuff. maybe it's Zombies, I'm not sure. US 3. If you like scary movies it probably deserves higher than that. SS 4. People die, mainly in gruesome fashion.